8 Hip-Hop Stars Taylor Swift Could Not Deny Her Love For

Updated on Feb 1, 2016 at 12:00 PM

Taylor Swift can't be put into a musical box. Her evolution from country music's favorite darling to pop music's fiercest competitor is just one example of that. But another genre Taylor isn't afraid to tap into is hip-hop. She showcased her impressive rap skills when she covered Eminem's single "Lose Yourself" on tour. She also rapped the chorus of Young Buck's 2004 hit single "Shorty Wanna Ride," and who could forget when she lip-synced Kendrick Lamar's "Backseat Freestyle" while driving and staying on beat?

Taylor took things a step further in 2015 when she invited Fetty Wap, Nelly, and Wiz Khalifa to perform on stage with her during her 1989 world tour. While we wait to see which rapper Taylor will hang with next, we've rounded up a list of hip-hop stars the "Bad Blood" singer has already initiated into her epic celebrity squad. Check them out below, and then be sure to read this guide to all of Taylor's feuds, friendships, and flames.

T-Pain

Taylor first showed off her rapping skills during a comedy skit with T-Pain at the 2009 Country Music Association Awards, during which she created the new moniker "T-Swizzle." Even now, fans still sing along to the insanely catchy "Thug Story" parody.

Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper posted this photo with Taylor in July when her 1989 world tour stopped in Chicago. "Dear Taylor, Chicago loves you and you're welcome back anytime," he wrote. "Congrats on 2 back to back sold out nights at Soldier's Field of 55,000 people, and thanks for treating my friends so well." Their friendship came as a bit of a surprise for some fans, but it just goes to show that you should never underestimate Taylor's underground hip-hop connections.

B.o.B.

B.o.B. first teamed up with Taylor in 2012 for their country-rap single "Both of Us." Taylor then went on to star in the Jaka Nava-directed music video for the song. Since then B.o.B. has been spotted at several of Taylor's concerts.

The Game

The Game shared this gym photo with his followers in 2013, announcing that he had just finished a workout session with Taylor. It's no surprise Taylor is familiar with the former G-Unit rap star. She has admitted to being a fan of the popular rap group and to having a crush on 50 Cent.

Nicki Minaj

In 2011, Taylor was recorded singing along to Nicki Minaj's "Superbass" and even invited the rapper to perform it with her on stage. Their friendship took a hit after their epic Twitter feud in 2015, but the duo made peace after Taylor apologized. Their friendship was tighter than ever when they performed together at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.

Jay Z

Taylor had the best 25th birthday ever when Jay Z (and Beyoncé!) showed up as guests to her celebration. With over 48,000 retweets and 100,000 "likes," it's safe to say Taylor basically broke the Internet when she posted the group shot of the century. There's also this GIF of Taylor casually asking Jay out to brunch at the Grammys last year.

Kendrick Lamar

Taylor's friendship with Kendrick Lamar began when she revealed her excitement over his album To Pimp a Butterfly on Twitter in 2015. Kendrick later revealed he was also a fan of Taylor and even did an impromptu freestyle of Taylor's song "Shake It Off." Most recently, the two combined their talents for an earth-shattering collaboration and music video for her Grammy-nominated single "Bad Blood."

Kanye West

Taylor and Kanye West have one of the rockiest friendships in the music world. It all started when Kanye snatched the microphone from Taylor at the 2009 VMAs, and nothing has been the same since. The two found a way to make up (partially due to Jay Z), and now there seems to be a mutual respect between the two.

Taylor presented Kanye with the prestigious video vanguard award at the 2015 VMAs and dubbed him the greatest rapper of all time. Kanye continued his apology by sending Taylor a cube of white roses following the show. No more bad blood.